Annabel Monaghan has officially added her name to the beach read queens list. (I don't know where this list is, but there's got to be one somewhere, right?!) Last summer, Nora Goes Off Script was one of my favorite reads. That same charm and wit has returned in Monaghan's latest release, Same Time Next Summer. [...]
Michael Leali's Matteo is a contemporary spin on Pinocchio and The Giving Tree, but in a less-problematic, overall better way. Eleven year old Matteo just wants to grow a little so he can be a better baseball player. But the leaves, twigs, and bark growing out of his body is not what he had in [...]
Christina Li's Ruby Lost and Found is a thought-provoking middle grade novel that focuses on family, friends, and healing. Ruby has felt lost since her Ye-Ye passed away. She and her grandfather were incredibly close, and she doesn't understand how everyone else has moved on so quickly. With one of her best friends moving away [...]
Good Vibes Only is more than just a patch on Natty's backpack. It's her view on life, and she won't let anyone get her down. Even if Natty's mom left their family and keeps flaking on visiting. And she and her dad moved in with her grandparents. And she's having a hard time connecting with [...]
I didn't always love short stories, mostly because I kept wanting more, and they kept ending. But I always want to spend more time with characters I love, and that knows no form. Novel, novella, or short story, great characters always make me want to spend more time in their world. My love for short [...]
If Ellie Engle had a superpower, it would be invisibility. Ellie likes things simple, normal. Especially after her dad left. Even more after her Poppy died. Normal means spending time at her best friend Abby's busy, happy house. It means feeding Burt the Betta fish. It means reading comics and waiting for Abby's gymnastics practice [...]
Erica Bauermeister's No Two Persons is a love letter to books and the power of connection they hold. This novel is unlike any other I've ever read. Each chapter features a new character, with select crossovers. It almost feels more like a short story collection, yet they are clearly all connected. When we put our [...]
Throwback by Maurene Goo is a fun rom-com with mother-daughter drama with time travel. Throwback has Back to the Future vibes with a Freaky Friday slant. Samantha gets sent back to 1995 after an epic fight with her mom, unable to get back to her own time until she completes a mystery mission... all while [...]
I have the hardest time reviewing the books that touch my heart the most. This review is going to be a little different. A little less formal. A little more like a conversation. I want to tell you why this book brought tears to my eyes, filled my heart with hope, and will stay with [...]
Angie Thomas's middle grade debut is just as stunning as her bestselling YA novels. Nic Blake knows that being a Remarkable in an Unremarkable world isn't always easy. Every time an Unremarkable sees her dad use the Gift, they have to move. She's never been to a Remarkable city, and her dad won't even teach [...]
Paw Prints in the Sink 